Alternating current motor



" Nov. 14, 1933.

E. BRETCH ALTERNATING CURRENT MOTOR FilecLApril 15. 1929 2 SheetsA-Sheet v l Nov. 14, 1933. E BRETCH 1,934,909

I ALTERNATING CURRENT MOTOR Filedpril 15. 1929 2 sheets-sheet 2 y ,j /gg l 4 FK, f *f Afb' 6 d f Parental Nv.q14u, 1933 i 1,934,909

,UNITED STATES PATENT oFEicE Y 1,934,909 surname .CURRENT Moron Edward man, st. tous, M0. Application apra 1s, 192e. sean No. 355,249

s claims. A(c1. 11e- 217) This invention relates to new and useful imthe revolving eld more closely under load condiprovements in alternating current motors. tions when the speed of the rotor is reduced, I It is Well known in the art that a squirrel cage provide a motor having the revolving or prialternating current motor is more efficient and mary eld arranged with a divided Winding and 5 ,fthe output thereof is greater when operated from interposing a condenser in a'branch of the wind- G0 'a poly-phase supply than when operated from ing so as to Yproduce a poly-phase eect indea single-phase supply. This is due to the fact pendent of the rotor reactions. that where the motor is operated poly-phase, the As the losses in the condenser are negligible revolving field is produced by electric current and those of the rotor which they thus eliminate @taken directly from the electric supply circuit, quite large, it will be readily apparent that the 65 and where the motor is operated single-phase efficiency of the motor is considerably increased the revolving iield is produced by the rotation of by the use of my improved construction. the rotor and the reactions of the rotor currents Furthermore, since the condenser will have a instead of currents taken directly from the suptendency to maintain the revolving field indeply circuit., pendent of the rotor reactions, the output of the 70 This transformation of the oscillating eld motor will be larger since this revolving ileld will produced by single-phase current into a revolvremain more nearly circular. ling eld through the rotor reaction is accom- Also inasmuch asthe condenser takesaleadig plished by a considerable loss of energy in the current the leading component can be so pro- Protor. Thus in loading the rotor the revolving portioned as practically to neutralize the normal 'I5 field, due to slip, tends to become elliptical rather lagging current taken by all induction motors than circular, thereby reducing the torque, which and thus cause the motor to operate at practically is necessary to pull the rotor out of sten. Conunity power factor.

sequently instead of coordinating the speeds of Other objects of my invention are to provide an the rotor with the speed of the revolving ileld, alternating current motor having the favorable 80 the slip is increased, thereby increasing the constarting4 characteristics of a repulsion induction sumption of the current and reducing the eimotor and having its revolving field so arranged ciency of the motor. Therefore, the output is as to reduce the rotor reactions to minimum so as considerably less where the motor is operated sinto eliminate losses of energy in the rotor and ingie-phase ythan when operated poly-phase. sure effective operation of the motor under vary- 85 Also in 'starting from a standstill, the singleing load speeds.

phase squirrel cage motor has no starting torque Further objects of the invention are to provide (unless a phase splitting device is used and this an improved alternating current motor having its makes the motor an unbalanced poly-phase marotor provided with commutated windings furchine). But this difficulty has been overcome by nishing the necessary starting torque and pro- 90 the use of the repulsion'induction motor where viding the revolving field with divided windings .the initial starting torque is provided by brushes and interposing4 a reactance condenser in one or and a .commutator and wherein, when the rotor more of said windings so as to produce a polyreaches the operating speed, the motor operates phase effect independently of the rotor reactions. 40 as"a squirrel cage motor. Still further objects of the invention are to 95 While the repulsion induction motor provides provide an alternating current motor having a rostarting characteristics that compare favorably tor provided with commutated windings and a with any other type at operating speed, it still suitable short-circuiting device whereby the inirequires of the rotor a double function of carrytial starting torque of the motor is furnished by ing the mechanical load and at the same time said commutated winding and having the revolv- 100 transferring the oscillating eld into a revolving ing field provided with a condenser whereby said one. This is unsatisfactory as considerable loss revolving field 1s maintained by the action of the` of energy occurs during the transformation of condenser rather than by rotor reactions. the oscillating eld into the revolving eld, and With Ithese and other objects inview,myinven consequently the operation of the motor is not tion consists in certain novel features of con- 165 efficient. structionhereinafter more fully described and In order to relieve the rotor of this extra claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying function of transforming the single-phase osciidrawings, in whichv lating field into a revolving eld and in order to Figure 1 is a side elevational view, partly in n lessen materially the rotor losses and maintain cross section, of my improved motor. 110

showing the short-circuiting device in elevation. Figure 3 is an enlarged detail view showing the short-circuiting device in moved position in contact engagement with the armature winding.

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view of the rwindings of my improved motor.

Figure 5 is a modified form of my invention. Referring by numerals tothe accompanying drawings, indicates a motor casing in which is mounted a revoluble shaft l1 carrying an armature core 12. This core is provided with an armature or secondary winding 14 and a commutator 15 to which the armature windings are connected. A field core 16 having field or primary windings 17 is arranged in casing 10 .and encircles armature 12 and armature windings 14.

Cooperating with the commutator 15 are brushes 15a which are pivotally mounted on the casing 10 and spring-held in engagement with said commutator.

A short-circuiting device 18 is used to short circuit said commutator windings 14 when the motor attains the predetermined speed. This device may be of the type disclosed in my United States Letters Patent No. 1,111,358. In this type of device there are a plurality of short-circuiting plates 19 having transverse ends 19a movable into and out of contact engagement with the segments of commutator 15 and having longitudinal ends 19b terminating in hooks 20 which are in engagement with a ring 21. This ring isgpressed inwardly by a coiled spring 22 which is arranged coaxially with the shaft l1. One end of this spring presses against a nut or adjusting ring 23 which is adjustably screw-seatedI on said shaft. The

tendency of this springis to hold the plates 19 in retracted positions out of contact with the commutator 15. Under this condition, the various armature windings 14 are independent of each other and cooperate with brushes 18 so that the motor operates as a repulsion induction motor. This type of motorhas a large starting torque and comes up to speed rapidly.

When the armature 12 attains a predetermined speed the centrifugal action causes the plates 19 to move out radially, thereby drawing the ring 21 forwardly against the tension of spring 22, compressing the latter. When in this outward moved position the transverse ends 19* are in contact with the segments of the commutator 15 so that the armature windings 14 are short-circuited and said motor operates as a single-phase induction motor. This construction of the motor is wellknown and other forms of short-oircuiting devices can be used for this purpose.

,In order to eliminate objectionable features of the single-phase motor and relievethe rotor or armature windings of the function of transforming the single phase field into a revolving field, thereby materially reducing the rotor losses, and in order to maintain more nearlythe revolving field under load conditions when the speed of the rotor is reduced, I interposev a .condenser into a branch of the field or primary winding, thereby producing a poly-phase effect independent of the rotor reactons.` This iield or" primary winding 17 consists of two branch wind- Y ings A-and B so arranged that they are mechanically out of phase. One branch winding A is connected directly across the line and the other branch winding B is connected .across the line but has a reactance orl condenser C intertherein in series therewith.

Figure 2 is a verticaly cross section of the motor are arranged as nearly .as possible so thatlthe electric currents in said branch windings A and B are out of phase substantially the same degree as the mechanical phase displacement of the coils of said branches, and also so that the currents in the branches will be of such magnitudes as to provide an approximately true `revolving field. The closer these conditions can be approached the more of the rotor losses will be eliminated and the higher the efficiency of the rotor will be in operation as a squirrel cage rotor.

While the operatingcharacteristics of a squirrel cage single-phase motor (eitherl split phase or condenser) are satisfactory, their starting characteristics are not suitable for heavy load starting; my improved motor utilizes the commutated windingsfof the secondary or rotor to improve the starting torque of the condenser motor in the same manner as the commutated windings are used to improve the starting characteristics of .the split phase motor.

Thus my improved motor provides the same improved starting chcaracteristics over the ordinary condensermotor as the repulsion induction `motor does over the ordinary split phase Awinding 26 which is connected to arcommutator 27, having brushes 28. i,

An inner squirrel cage winding 29 consists of a plurality of bars which are embedded in said core 25 and are spaced suitable distance from the outer winding 28. At' a standstill or low speed the magnetic flux is forced outside the winding 29 toward thewinding 26 so that the squirrel cage winding 29 will be inoperative. When the motor attains normal speed the magnetic flux will pass orbe short-circuited through winding 29, rendering winding 26 inoperative. The field or primary of this motor is the same as in the preferred form.

In either case the commutated winding is used in starting and when running at low or subnormal speeds. At normal speed the commutated winding is short-circuited and the motor operates as a squirrel cage motor.` This short circuiting is accomplished either mechanically by a suitable short circuiting mechanism, or electrioally by a particular construction of the arma- The field vor primary has itswindingdivided into a plurality of branches and certain of said branches have connected in series therewith a reactance or condenser while 4the other branches are connected directly across the line. 'I'he branches are so arranged as to be mechanically yas as electrically .out of phase so that a subtially true revolvingfield is produced.

Since in my improved motor it is not the func-'- tion of the condenser to furnish starting torque,

the condenser is proportioned for load and operating conditions.A No switching of resistance, condensers, transformer, and the like is necessaryasmy'motor comes up fromstartingtorunning condition. Thus a most favorable condition. of starting characteristic combined with .a

most favorable operating characteristic is provided. Furthermore, should the condenser circuit for any reason become displaced, the motor would start and carry a large proportion of .the original capacity and could be used in an emergency without the condenser. Thus in case oi.' condenser failure my improved motor would not be entirely out of service as in the case of the squirrel cage condenser motor.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention, it is obvious that various changes in the construction and arrangement oi.' parts of my improved alternating current motor can be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of my invention. Y

claim:

1. A single speed alternating current motor comprising in combination main lines, a main primary winding connected thereto, an auxiliary primary winding displaced in space relation from said main primary winding and electrically connected to said main lines, a condenser arranged in series in said auxiliary winding, and a rotor having commutated winding, said primary winding and said condenser producing a substantial single phase eld while said rotor is at standstill or running at low speed and producing a polyphase field effect at normal speed, said rotor being so arranged as to utilize this single phase field effect during starting operation and to utilize said polyphase iield effect under normal running speed. v Y

2. A single speed alternating current motor comprising in combination a main primary winding, an auxiliary primary winding displaced in space relation from said main primary winding and electrically connected therewith, a condenser connectid in series in said auxiliary primary winding to advance the'phase of the current in said auxiliary winding, both oi said windings and said condenser being so proportioned as to provide a substantial single phase ileld component at standstill or low speed, and a repulsion starting rotor cooperating with said primary windings and adapted to utilize said single phase field component to provide the initial start and adapted to ing, an auxiliary primary winding displaced in space relation from said main primary winding and electrically connected thereto, a condenser connected in series in said auxiliary primary and a secondary member including commutated windings, brushes and commutator to set up at ornearstand-still poles in said secondary member at an oblique angle from the poles oi! said primary windings to utilize the single phase iield component for starting, said secondary member including a squirrel cage for operating as a squirrel cage rotor at normal running speed. 5. A single speed alternating current motor comprising in combination a stationary member having a main winding, and an auxiliary winding displaced in space relation from said main winding and electrically connected thereto; phase advancing means associated with said auxiliary winding, and a rotating member having current controlling means to control and direct the vcurrents in the rotating member to set up at or near standstill in said rotating member poles at oblique angles from the poles of said stationary member to provide the initial start and to utilize the squirrel cage eifect when running at full speed. I 6. A single speed alternating current motor comprising in combination a polyphase ileld member unbalanced both as to phase and voltage for producing a substantial single phase iield component at or near standstill, and a rotor including means for utilizing said single phase field component to provide the initial start and for voperating substantially as squirrel cage notor at normal running speed.

7. A single speed alternating motor lcomprising in combination a rotor having a commutated winding, short-circuiting brushes cooperating with said winding for starting said motor, a short-circuiting device for short-circuiting said commutated windings when the motor attains full speed, E .d a eld member having a winding divided into a 'W plurality of branches mechanically out of phase, and a4 reactance interposed in certain of said branches, said branches and said reactances being so arranged that the currents in said branches are approximately ofthe same phase angle as the mechanical phase angle ofsaidbranches at runoperate substantially as a squirrel-cage motor at ning y and electrically connected thereto, phase advancing means electrically associated with said lauxiliary primary-winding, and a secondary member having current controlling means to control A and direct the secondary current at or near standstill so as to set up secondary poles at an oblique angle from the primary poles.

4. A ,single speed alternating current motor comprising in combination a main primary windspeed. A

8. A single/speed alternating current motor comprising in combination an unsymxnetrical polyphase field member energized by a main constant voltage and by a variable auxiliary voltage derived from said main constant voltage, said auxiliary voltage being variable in both phase and magnitude so as to produce a substantial single phase iield component at or near standstill, and a commutated rotor adapted to utilize said single phase ileld component to provide the initial start and adapted to operate substantially as squirrel-cage at normal running speed.

EDWARD BRE'rcr-r.

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